Saturday, April 28, 2007

BRITISH JOURNOS ANTI-SEMITIC, NOT ANTI-"ZIONIST"

Why Israel But Not Burma? - Stephen Glover (Independent-UK)
The motion by the National Union of Journalists to single out Israel as being uniquely evil, and worthy of measures that are not contemplated against anyone else, is intellectually disreputable. The NUJ has not passed any motion to boycott China, where there are hundreds of political prisoners. Nor has it picked on North Korea, a totalitarian state in which millions of people have been deprived of the bare necessities of life. The same could be said of Burma. I do not believe that the NUJ has puffed itself in indignation against Saudi Arabia, an autocratic state where women do not enjoy rights that are taken for granted in Israel.

Whatever criticisms can be justly made of Israel, it is a functioning democracy with a free press and a robust tradition of free speech. Why is Israel singled out? I hesitate to raise the charge of anti-Semitism, but though laying aside that explanation, I confess that I am unable to find another one.

I AGREE WITH NATAN SHARANSKY'S "THREE D'S" TEST TO DISTINGUISH LEGITIMATE CRITICISM OF ISRAEL FROM ANTI-SEMITISM:


The first "D" is the test of demonization. When the Jewish state is being demonized; when Israel's actions are blown out of all sensible proportion; when comparisons are made between Israelis and Nazis and between Palestinian refugee camps and Auschwitz - this is anti- Semitism, not legitimate criticism of Israel.

The second "D" is the test of double standards. When criticism of Israel is applied selectively; when Israel is singled out by the United Nations for human rights abuses while the behavior of known and major abusers, such as China, Iran, Cuba, and Syria, is ignored; when Israel's Magen David Adom, alone among the world's ambulance services, is denied admission to the International Red Cross - this is anti-Semitism.

The third "D" is the test of delegitimization: when Israel's fundamental right to exist is denied - alone among all peoples in the world - this too is anti-Semitism.

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